Inner Demons
by S. Whisper
Summary: The raven-haired boy sits down with a wince escaping him, some crimson-blood drips on the purple-carpet floor soundlessly before disappearing, the carpet having soaked it up like a sponge. Danny bites his lip as she disinfects the wound, not making a sound. "You know it's okay to tell me if it hurts," Maddie says, no response follows. Secret Revealed story! Mother/Son bonding!
1. Green and Red

**Hello people! So I've been doing nothing but summer work for school as of late - that being the reason why I haven't been online often - and I had this idea pop up during my science work; who knew reading about silicon and the posioner's corridor is inspiring?**

 **Danny Phantom (c) Butch Hartman.**

 **Story belongs to me. That's all I own...Excuse me while I cry...**

* * *

INNER DEMONS

CHAPTER ONE:

 _Green and Red_

* * *

 _"Monsters are real, ghosts are real, too._

 _They live inside us, and sometimes they win."_

 _\- Stephan King._

* * *

Dr. Maddie Fenton yawns, stretching her jumpsuit coated arms over her head until she hears a satisfied pop escape her bones. For hours on end she'd sat there in her uncomfortable, stiff, faux leather chair in front of her brightly lit old-fashioned computer screen, watching the text and imagies closely with a critical eye. Jack - her husband - had gone upstairs around thirty minutes ago claiming; _"My eyes are sore, Madds, I'm gonna hit the hay. You should catch some sleep, too! Us Fentons have to be ready for the morning_!" She had shrugged him off, having said some excuse that had appeared off the top of her head. It was probably one that only Jack Fenton would believe. Maddie loved him with all her heart but she could admit that her husband - as sweet and caring as he may be - wasn't the brightest man around town.

 _Although he does have his moments_ , Maddie thinks with a smile.

It was sometimes unrealistic their - hers, her husband's and their kid's - lives. The nut-job family who everyone thought were geniuses in the idiot category were right about the existence of the supernatural and their origins. The Fentons are right. Now the people of Amity Park believes in everything Maddie and Jack say in regards to ghosts; how they are formed, the dangers they bring, and the very essence they bring. Or they did, until that Phantom kid popped up out of seemingly no where - based on her research that she was currently revising and editing - and made the town think, once again, that the Fentons had no clue about the real world.

The thought made her blood boil underneath her skin. Danny Phantom, that ghost kid menace, is making a mockery of the Fenton couple in front of the entire town with just a simple witty remark - or banter, if you ask Phantom - that causes men and women alike to laugh at the couple's antics. Phantom was too innocent and childish to realize what the effects those remarks cause; humiliation. Sure, he does that to everyone he's up against - ghosthunters, ghosts, and the occasional human criminal - just to tick them off, but those ghosts go back to the Ghost Zone and it's done; the Red Huntress goes back home and the other ghosthunters go back to where they came from, to tell newspapers and write articles about the encounter; and the human criminal gets sent to jail, end of story. But everyone knows the Fentons, and everyone knows where the family lives because of the large FentonWorks sign on their doorstep.

No escape for them.

Maddie rubs her amethyst-colored eyes with her black-gloved hand, a small groan escaping her lips. This was tiring, too tiring for anyone to handle at two in the morning. At least she thinks it's two - the clock on the computer was off - it was probably somewhere along the same lines.

The article on the computer stares back at her, it was written by some unknown scientist from California, the large title catching her eye again and again. Hybrids in The Animal Kingdom. Jack had found it earlier, had enthused about how they could connect animals to ghosts and it would still be the same regardless of some minor differences. She had believed him full-heartedly as usual and agreed to read it.

It was good, she supposed, it held information and taught her some things she hadn't known prior. But unlike her husband, she hadn't found it all that interesting. Not that she'd ever admit it to him of course, Jack would be heartbroken for days until a ghost popped up.

Upstairs the front door opens, the door's hinges creaking loudly. Maddie hops up out of her seat, pulls an ecto-gun from a pocket, and dashes up the stairs leading to the kitchen. There, she walks quietly to the living room where the front door is located. What she sees shocks her mentally.

There in front of her is her son, Danny, hugging his side with blood coated hands. Harsh, sallow breaths escape his pale lips which turn up in a weak grin when he notices her, "Hey, mom," He says in-between pants, "What are you doing up?"

"Danny!" Maddie practically shrieks, dropping the ecto-gun unconsciously, rushing towards her son, "Oh, sweetie! What happened? Did someone do this?" She questions, checking him over for any other injuries; she finds none besides the obvious one on his side. Relief washes over her features before panic once again joins. Her baby boy was hurt by something, no one could've hurt themselves like this on accident. It was impossible.

Baby-blue eyes blink rapidly, "Mom, I'm fine, it's nothing," He says, attempting to push back her caring hands with one of his own, Maddie looks at him like he said something ridiculous. In reality it was a mixture of both. He was fine, he's had worse; comparing this to the time he broke his leg this was barely a scratch. Ghost hunting hardly ever left you without a few 'rewards' after all.

"Danny, it's not nothing," Maddie scolds, "You could've damaged some bones for all I know, or worse even."

He sighs, "Mom-"A

"-Stop it, honey, at least let me check you over! After all your still my baby even after some developments-"

"-It's not that."

Maddie sighs, rubbing both his arms gingerly, "Then what is it? Sweetie, you can tell me anything, you know. I'm always here for you." She says, brushing back his raven-black bangs out of his face. He shakes her off, his posture tense; this surprises her completely, Danny didn't look in any way calm, he looks like he's expecting her to pull a gun on him any second now. _But that couldn't be true,_ her head was saying, _he should feel safe._

He's home, in his mother's arms, he should feel safe and sound. But he isn't. Danny looks cautious, on edge even, with narrow blue eyes and rigid lips; a look that no fifteen-year-old should know how to do, a look that they shouldn't be able to make believable. But he somehow did, the son of ghosthunters - Maddie and Jack Fenton - can make this look easily.

"Yeah," Danny finally says with a sigh, "I know."

"Then why don't you tell me what happened after I clean you up? Wouldn't want you to loose more blood."

For some reason he laughs, allowing her to take him to the couch. The raven-haired boy sits down with a wince escaping him, some crimson-blood drips on the purple-carpet floor soundlessly before disappearing, the carpet having soaked it up like a sponge. Maddie walks towards a cabinet, pulling out an average-sized first aid kit with a neon-green plus sign instead of the customary red, she carries it carefully over to her son - who was resting his head against a pillow - and begins to bandage him up with careful, gentle hands. Danny bites his lip as she disinfects the wound, not making a sound.

"You know it's okay to tell me if it hurts," Maddie says, dabbing it lightly. No response. With a sad sigh, she motions towards his shirt, "Okay, you have to take your shirt off."

"I can't."

She stands up, hands firmly on her hips, "And why not?"

"It's late," Danny says, standing up quickly, "And I have school in the morning," Maddie raises an eyebrow at him, her face the very image of disbelief. She very much doubts that school of all things is what Danny's worried about, his grades were down the toilet and he hardly ever turned in any assignments besides the one's done in class - which Mr. Lancer continuously says to her over the phone - given the right amount of time. The school's teachers have long since agreed on the reason as to why Danny's grades and regular tardies - if the boy even showed up at all on some days - they concluded that the youngest Fenton was involved in a gang of some kind or that he was on some sort of drug. The latter always made Maddie scoff; like her son would ever do that!

Danny wasn't the perfect student ever but that still wasn't a reason for them - people who probably didn't even now him - to make those accusations about him. And for them to have the guts to come to the Fenton couple and say to them, _"We think your son, Danny, is in a gang or is on drugs!"_ She had wanted nothing more to defend her son against those harsh words but how would she? She, his mother, didn't even know the actual reasons why his grades dropped drastically over the last three years, nor did she know what her son did when he wasn't home. The only thing she did know was that Danny seemed to always, always be with his two best friends, Sam Manson and Tucker Foley. But as of late it seemed his older sister, Jazz, was around the trio more often now.

"Fine, you put the bandage on yourself but if you can't manage, come, and I'll do it. Sound okay?" Maddie says finally, Danny nods eagerly before grabbing the bandage out of her open hand.

"Thanks, mom, night," He says, stretching slightly to kiss her left cheek. He skids up the stairs and into his room quickly, the soft sound of his door opening and closing echoing through the quiet household.

Maddie sighs, shaking her head; causing her short, brown hair to tickle her face. _Danny was fine, he's breathing, he's talking. He's fine,_ her mind kept chanting through her head as she places everything back into it's proper place. Her son was fine, wasn't in the best mood usually but what teenager ever is? It's just apart of life, nothing can change that. Heck, she remembers _her_ teenage years, she wasn't the best student either but still managed to get accepted into college where she met Jack and his best friend, Vlad Masters.

It's just a phase. It'll pass.

With that, Maddie heads back town the stairs to continue her work because of her retched insomnia, sleeping wasn't her top priority at the moment.

* * *

Jazz Fenton - the eldest Fenton child and psychologist-in-the-making - wasn't surprised when Danny burst into her room with some injury, she was surprised however when he phased through the door in ghost mode and started shaking her roughly awake even though she already was. This had been going on for five minutes before his emerald-green eyes noticed her own turquoise one's glaring at him. He - staying in Phantom mode - laughs lightly, a red-green blush crossing his face as he rubs the back of his neck.

"Uh...whoops?" Danny says lamely, his ghost mode's natural, eerie, echo-y voice making his words clear.

"Danny, what do you want?" Jazz asks, sitting up, clicking the lamp on her beside table on, "It's-" She glances at her charging cell phone, "-three in the morning and, as much as I love your company, it's not that pleasing to see you on a school night."

The ghost boy rolls his eyes, "Well aren't you peppy in the night...er... _morning_...um...whatever it is," He retorts lamely, crossing his arms over his black-and-white chest. Jazz ignores the comment as usual and pulls him down on her bed.

"Come on, I know you didn't come for a therapy lesson or a bandage-me-up-Jazz situation, so, what's up?""Mom's getting closer to a lot of things," Danny begins, transforming back into his human half, "I just phased down to see what she was doing and she was looking up hybrids," He says, worry and fear crossing his eyes quickly before they vanish just as fast, "She's getting close, Jazz."

"It was bound to happen eventually, little brother, we both know that."

"But it's happening now, I'm not ready for that," He says, "In any way possible. What if she thinks that ghost-human-hybrids are evil? God knows what'll happen then! I could be forced to flew into the Ghost Zone, be forced to become lair-mates with the Box Ghost, stay there until I become full ghost, leaving you and everyone else behind while Vlad has a fruitloop crowning ceremony-"

Jazz groans silently as her brother lists the things that'll probably only happen in his mind. He was overthinking things as usual - a habit he had picked up over the past few months - and was turning a blind eye towards the possible situations that may happen. What he was saying was not what Maddie Fenton would ever do to her only son and youngest child, yes, she was a scientist at heart but she was also their mother, that'll always come first. It was a maternal instinct that every mother has; that's what one of Jazz's books had said. If their mom didn't accept Danny for what he was, which is a slim but possible chance, then every book on parenting is wrong. Which is very unlikely.

Now, the seventeen-year-old girl both knew her mom and her brother very well up to the point where she made files on both of them. Neither would harm the other without having a firm belief to do so, that being a common trait between the two. Danny - when he realized people were overshadowed - shot both his parents, in an attempt to knock the ghost out of them, but neither Maddie or Jack were and they didn't know what Danny knew so they took the ecto-blasts as a threat. That ecto-blast beginning the 'war' between the Fentons and a Phantom, and poor Danny was stuck between the two.

"-Sam would be a cheerleader, Valerie would become _Lady of the Red_ in another civilization-" Danny continues, making dramatic gestures with his hands.

Things - if Jazz were to be honest - would be a lot easier if their parents knew the truth about Danny Fenton and Danny Phantom. Neither Danny, Sam, Tucker, or herself would ever have to lie to the Fenton couple again; Danny would be relived of one major stress; Team Phantom - or as Jazz called it, The Ghost Getters - would have full access to the Fenton Weapons and Ghost Portal more than usual; and Maddie and Jack could help Sam and Tucker by saying to their parents that they were sleeping over while they were, in truth, in another dimension with the Fenton children.

Yes, things would be nice and calm but it's always calm before the storm; the nasty, bone-shattering storm that always, always happened at the beginning of good things for Team Phantom. Freakshow, Ember, Skulker, Vlad, _him_ , Guys In White, ect. The list goes on and on for miles on end.

Something always got in the way.

It wasn't always bad; it made things more interesting and so much more energizing. It makes you feel alive, but it also makes you feel like a fantasy character in a book. Things are so unrealistic that sometimes you even don't believe it, but yet here you are; standing in front of it, breathing it all in, while your mind is screaming it's wrong in every possible way. But you love it in every impossible way.

That's what it had felt like when Jazz fist joined the ghost-fighting-trio consisting of Danny, Sam, and Tucker. At first she had just wanted to help Danny out in any way she could, be it fighting him or cheering for him on the sidelines. She'd wanted to do something for him to show him she would always be there. But never in a million-years would Jazz ever think that her brother would trust her enough to invite her on the team to fight with him.

"-Lord Fruitloop! HA! Then Freakshow comes back a third time and vows revenge on clowns for some reason-"

Danny, having his heart on his sleeve, would ask their parents to join Team Phantom but if they said 'no' poor Danny would feel guilty and blame himself. He - having that stupid hero complex - would think that someone was forcing his parents to say no, and then he'd fly off and fight whoever did it.

"-Frostbite throws a party, Dora somehow turns into a dude, Clockwork-"

"-Danny! _Enough_!" Jazz finally interrupts the rambling boy, "What on earth goes on in that head of yours...?"

"I don't really know, a bunch of things pop in and out," Danny responds with a small shrug saying _what-can-I-do-it's-not-my-fault._

Sighing, the red-head rubs her forehead with her thumb and index finger; "Okay, later, you and I are going to have a therapy lesson. But right now we need to think of a plan on what to do and how to handle it the best way we can."

"Cool, I'll tell Sam and Tuck tomorrow. Night, Jazz," Danny says, giving his sister a quick hug before he literally disappears in front of her like a ghost; Jazz mentally face-palms at the clique pun, she'd been spending way too much time with her ghost obsessed family as of late. She loved them but seriously when they said _"the apple doesn't fall far from the tree"_ they were not joking.

Yawning, Jazz glances at her charging phone once again - the time reading three fifty - before she clicks off her lamp, snuggles back in her currently pink bed and attempts to fall asleep. Eventually she does with much twisting and turning, kicking and punching at the thick covers.

* * *

 _It's stupid, this is stupid,_ Danny thinks silently; flopping down onto his bed belly-first - having already changed into his pajamas - and stretching to un-tense his stiff back somewhat. Not surprisingly, it doesn't help him in the slightest. Nothing in regards to secrets and parents makes sense to him; how could it? They - his parents - could very easily disown him as they could also accept him. The two thoughts seeming to fight to see who would win his opinion on the matter.

One thing that always, always wins in the battle of thoughts is the feeling of unfairness.

He - a fifteen-year-old boy who barely even knows the first name of his teacher - got stuck on this line between the Human World and the Ghost Zone on accident, had to become a superhero to stop ghosts from hurting his hometown, and is constantly being hollered at by both his enemies and teacher alike. His friends and sister sometimes do yell at him for some things like; _"why didn't you answer your phone?"_ or, _"Oh my god, Danny! We aren't your sidekicks!"_ That's fine; everyone gets mad now and then, having the need to let off some steam somehow. It's not like it hurt him all that much; having grown up with those three he knew when they were serious and when they were joking. During those 'pissed off moments' they never really looked mad, no, they looked mad when Vlad had shown up last month.

Danny runs a hand through his unruly, raven-black hair, yawning as he does so. _Might as well get some sleep_ , he thinks, _only Clockwork knows when my ghost sense would go off._

An all too familiar wisp of icy-blue escapes his lips, vanishing quickly. Danny groans, jumping into the air while he mentally summons the white-blue transformation rings to appear around his waist, they appear in a bright flash before one travels up towards his head and the other towards his feet. Raven-black becomes snow-white, baby-blue becomes emerald-green. In a literal flash where Danny Fenton once hovered; Danny Phantom floats in place, his legs morphing into a ghostly tail unconsciously as he phases through his wall and across town.

Amity - once you got past the large amount of ghost attacks and smashed cars being the victims of Jack Fenton's driving - was a pretty nice place. Pretty tall buildings for a town, multiple parks, small population. It was nice enough compared to other places.

Cold, sharp air hits Danny's face as he focuses on flying through the darkened, night sky. Normally to him; flying was heaven, especially in the night when it was quiet and empty out. Maybe he would fly around a bit later after he sends the ghosts back to the Ghost Zone.

"Hopefully," Danny mumbles quietly to himself, "It's just the Box Ghost with his _oh-so-scary_ bubble wrap of doom."

"Seems like your hopes aren't going to become a reality today, Phantom," An unfamiliar voice says loudly; a silky accent dripping from the words. The ghost boy blinks, turning around, looking for the source of the voice.

"Who is _that_?" He questions.

"Oh, me?" The voice - now sounding feminine - asks in response, "You know me already, don't you?"

Danny ponders this for a minute, shaking it off quickly, "Never heard a voice like that in my entire life," He says bluntly, crossing his arms over his black-and-white jumpsuit covered chest. A female, humanoid ghost appears in front of him in a swirl of navy-blue; she glares at him with glowing, stormy-grey colored eyes.

"Here's a hint for your teenage head; I'm the warden's daughter, and I'm here to ruin, well, everything for you, Phantom. How's that sound to you?"

"One, who knew Walker had a kid...ew, mental image, I do _not_ need that," Danny shudders, "Two, that's a no-can-do, I already have several people waiting in line for that. Hate to waste their time."

The female ghost's eyes flash brightly, her pale-lips thinning, "Ghost boy, I'm not kidding in what I say, I can turn everything upside-down; the past, the present, and the future. I can change them so much that even Clockwork himself would be impressed," She says, "He would be impressed and you would be among the list of the dead."

Phantom laughs at her, "I seriously doubt that. Clockwork's rarely ever impressed or surprised, for your information."

"Stars can fall to dust, people - hundreds of them - could be slaughtered, this pathetic world could be split apart and he wouldn't even blink. Nothing is important to him. All he sees is possibilities and outcomes; all he ever wants is lost in time; all he is, is matter. That's all, nothing more, nothing less. The time master, man in the moon, it's him; the man who never does anything but watch, always watching."

"Are you trying to impress me? Because, frankly, your failing to."

Surprisingly, she laughs, "You stupid Phantom, I don't need to impress you, I just need to distract you," She says, a grin stretching across her face.

 _"What?"_

A green blast hits the black-and-white suited ghost squarely on his back, causing him to cry out but otherwise staying still. Phantom's ghost sense whisps out of his mouth. Emerald-green eyes flash into an icy-blue shade, his unknown ghostly opponent behind him freezing, just as quickly the female ghost in front of him rockets towards him, using the force of the impact to her advantage. Both of them slam roughly onto the cement road - small pieces of rubble coating their clothing - she stand up first, placing a foot on top of his chest.

"How does it feel, Phantom, to be underneath someone?" She asks, placing more pressure on her foot.

Danny rolls his eyes, powering up an ecto-blast in the palm of his hand and shooting her off him. Her back hits the wall of a nearby building with a sickening crack, she laughs surprisingly, standing up easily. The ghost boy's eyes widen slightly in shock before he shakes it off quickly, shooting another ecto-blast towards her. A bright blue orb acting as a shield surrounds her, it absorbs the ecto-blast easily.

Thinking quickly, Danny blasts the shield with blue beams of ice - the ice freezes every inch of the shield smoothly. The female ghost phases out, frost coating her eyelashes and hair.

"Oh, would you look at that?" Danny comments, "A snow pixie!"

"Says the half-ghost with the height of a ten-year-old."

"Hey!"

Wasting no time, she blasts him with a purple-pink beam; "There you go," she says, smiling slightly, "My work here is done." Danny blinks, confusion clear in his eyes at her words. _Her work is done?_ _That makes no sense! -_ he thinks, - _God, when was the last time anything made sense._

Another blast hits him square in the back.

"Got you now, Ghost-Boy!" a too-familiar voice calls out loudly, Danny turns. There in front of him is his mom - Maddie Fenton - in all her black-and-blue jumpsuited glory in front of him, holding a large weapon with the famous Fentonworks 'F' on the side. He sees his mom in front of him, she sees a ghost in front of her.

* * *

 **Please tell me what you think!**


	2. Bandages and Numbness

**PEOPLE LIKED THIS STORY TT-TT LITTLE ANGELS!**

 **Danny Phantom and all it's characters (c) Butch Hartman.**

 **Story (c) Me.**

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INNER DEMONS

CHAPTER TWO:

 _Bandages and Numbness_

* * *

 _"There is a ghost here. A lonely, broken spirit. The ghost of everything that could've been and never was."_

 _\- Jennifer Donnelly, The Tea Rose._

* * *

Danny Phantom didn't get scared; that sickening feeling that goes through your body, causing people's stomach to tighten and for them to freeze in place, unable to move. He hardly ever felt that anymore since the first couple of months when he got his ghost powers. He felt adrenaline, that rush of energy; he felt happiness, a feeling that left a smile in it's place; he felt sadness, a wave of nothingness. But hardly fear, not any more.

Jazz had always asked him about this in the form of a question; " _do you think that not being scared is good, Danny?"_ That question always left him dry-mouthed and speechless every time. If even he didn't know the answer to that question - a question directed at him, because of him. Then it really was pointless to even mention it to her. He loved her, yes, but sometimes she just went a little bit too far with getting her answers - like that time she threatened to stuff him in the thermos if he didn't agree to go to a 'free' therapy session with her in her room along with Bearbert - she eventually gets them of course with her stubbornness but not always in the form she wants it.

Damn psychologists-in-training. Damn books on therapy for teens. Damn Bearbert Einstein, aka, Jazz's teddy-bear since she was little. Damn it all.

"Speechless for once, Phantom?" Maddie asks, cockily, fingers itching towards the trigger on her ecto-bazooka. She - Maddie Fenton - could end Danny Phantom and his existence once and for all by just pulling that small trigger that was less than inch away from her gloved fingers.

 _Am I?_ \- Danny thinks quietly to himself, - _Okay, let me see how things are going so far; new ghost, mom is here and she's holding an ecto-bazooka aimed right at me. And something tells me that if I say something that she doesn't like then I'm going to be full-ghost._ That does not sound fun to him in the least. Maddie continues to watch him with fierce eyes and a matching frown on her face, her grip not loosing from what Danny can see. For once it seems like his mom actually looks terrifying to him. _I can feel the next therapy session coming_ \- Danny thinks, groaning silently at the thought, - _And Jazz's next question; "why are you scared of mom, Danny? She loves you!"_

Only _Fenton_. Not _Phantom_. Laughing silently at himself, Danny allows himself a small smile to cross his lips, much to Maddie's curiosity. He sounds like he has a personality disorder from the way he's calling his two forms by different names; Fenton and Phantom.

"No," Danny answers, "No, I'm not."

Maddie purses her red-painted lips, "Then why aren't you saying some of your _'witty banter'_?" she says, the last bit dripping with sarcasm that causes Danny to flinch slightly at his mother's words. He knew who she was, she knew who he was half of the time. Not a very good combo in any kind of situation.

"There's nothing to say, if you noticed," he responds, "Look, I don't want to fight, I don't even want to hurt you or anyone. I don't want anything else other than for you to let me go," he says, desperately trying to slow down his breathing slightly so she wouldn't notice. Thankfully, she didn't yet but she scowls, fingers tightening on the bazooka's handle.

"Let you go, Why on earth would I do that? This - this would be remembered by everyone, Phantom, _everyone_. And we'll be rid of you and all these ghosts."

"Why do you think that?" Danny asks, emerald-green eyes watching the weapon's trigger nervously, almost as if waiting for something, "I haven't done anything wrong, if you noticed."

She's silent for a moment, "Why do you keep saying 'if you noticed'?" she asks eventually.

Phantom licks his lips, "Because no one does, not ever," he says simply, "Some people just need the friendly reminder every once and a while," shrugging, he shakes his head at her. Hovering in the air, he crosses his arms behind the back of his head, "What do I know, right? To you, I'm a ghost; to you, I'm dead; to you, I've been harming people all this time, not helping them, _hurting_ them. And I'd like to clear one of those things up right now; I've never - nor will I ever - hurt anyone on purpose."

Maddie stares at him in disbelief, "You've sent people to the hospital before, Phantom," she says clearly, not a trace of emotion in her voice.

"What?" Danny asks, a shocking look displaying itself on his face.

"Sometimes you miss shooting the ghost and it hits a bystander. Sometimes the ghost needs to threaten people in order for you to show up. Sometimes you do it yourself like that time with the mayor and you stealing those jewels," Maddie says, voice shaking slightly but her bazooka staying perfectly still and ready to fire.

"I didn't- how come-?" he stumbles for words, not knowing how to deal with the news, "I didn't know..."

A laugh passes her lips, "Of course you didn't, you never stay long enough to see the damage," she says, "The worst part of the ghost attacks."

"I've gotta get going so.." Danny began, eyes flashing an icy-blue shade. the bazooka freezes entirely in Maddie's hands - which thankfully don't freeze over, the only damage is a thin layer of frost on her gloves - she drops it on the floor, a loud thump echoing through the silent park. Phantom's still floating in front of her, his posture showing clear signs that he was about to bolt any second now.

"It'll unfreeze by tomorrow morning, hopefully, so..yeah. See you around!" he says awkwardly, before he flies off in a blur of black-and-white, leaving the ghost huntress to herself in the middle of the park. Scowling, she hoists the gun onto the strap on her back, leaving her hands free.

Rubbing them together in an attempt to heat them up, she walks pasts the playground equipment and park benches towards the assault vehicle. Another day, another lost chance to capture Phantom...She didn't know how to feel at the moment. Phantom had gotten away from her again but she wasn't mad, nor was she happy. It felt like she was a little bit of both.

She couldn't capture him, a bit mad. She didn't capture him, a bit happy.

The closet feeling to her right now is _numb_. She felt numb right now for reasons she didn't know. _That doesn't sound normal at all_ , - Maddie thinks to herself, - _Numb isn't even a real emotion._ Numb is a feeling you get after putting your hand in an ice bucket, sure, Phantom frosted her hands but her gloves had protected her skin from any damage; so what was causing it? Phantom? No, no, no. It couldn't be. That ghost was causing this? Ghost can't control people's emotions, they can affect and feed on them but they can't just control them.

None of this makes sense.

But that look Phantom had on his face when she told him that people were injured because of ghost battles. He looked shocked and worried at the same time. Ghosts can't feel those emotions, the only emotion they are capable of knowing is anger - that explains why they attack humans, - that's it. Danny Phantom cannot just be an exception to the rule, he just can't, science doesn't work that way. But the question still pops into her mind; why did he look worried? Was he worried about humans?

That can't be true.

* * *

Sam Manson stares with wide amethyst-colored eyes at Danny - who she was currently bandaging up for the umpteenth time this week - her hands frozen in place, "You said what?" she asks, her breaths escaping her violet-painted lips loudly. Danny runs a hand through his still snow-white hair, biting his lip in fear of her reaction.

"I said that no one notices.." he trails off like a child afraid of their mother, Sam hits him lightly on the arm, a teasing look clear on her face.

"Idiot," she says, continuing to bandage one the nastier, bleeding wounds that she knew for sure were going to leave a scar, "Do you ever _think_ before you speak, Danny?" she asks, glancing up at his stuttering face.

"I do!"

"When?"

"I don't remember but I know I did this week," Danny says, looking down curiously at her work, "Your getting good at this," he comments, she doesn't reply to this. Taking a bandage with a small cloth, she gently places it on, pushing away the torn bits of the hazmat suit of the way. Danny winces slightly but otherwise stays silent.

"Anything else?" Sam asks, giving him a once-over with her eyes, searching for any seeable injuries.

Nodding, Danny motions to his chest, "You know the stiches you put in a couple of days ago..?" he trails off when he sees her nod, "Well, a new ghost opened them up when he crashed into the cement."

"Suit top off. Let me see," the Goth demands, Danny complies and zips the top down until his stomach. Her eyes stares wide-eyed at his skin, taking in all the new bruises and scars since the last time she treated his wounds. There's a spot that's neatly bandaged, "Did you do this?" she asks, emerald-green eyes look down to what she's looking at.

"No," he answers causing Sam to look at him suspiciously.

"Who did, then?" she says, grabbing a cotton ball and pouring some disinfectant over it. No response follows, "Danny, who did this?"

"My mom did earlier," Danny answers, shutting his eyes tightly, afraid of her reaction. Surprisingly, Sam doesn't yell or hit him lightly, she only dabs some of the smaller bleeding areas with the disinfectant - no emotion on her face, - not muttering her usual "Sorry" or "It's okay". Instead she stays silent for a little bit. The silence feels suffocating with the tension in the air to Danny; what would Sam say? Would she lecture him or just go along, pretending it never happened?

"Why?" she says, dapping some burn cream over some areas where the skin was burned away, "She wouldn't do this for no reason."

Hesitating, Danny messes with her blanket covers, "She saw me bleeding, that's why she bandaged me up," he says eventually, "I should've phased into my room instead of walking through the front door."

"Oh, Danny," Sam mutters quietly, "Between that and her almost catching Phantom you've gotten yourself into a mess," she says, pulling a thin piece of thread through a needle carefully, preparing to stitch up the chest wound. When she had first started stitching up a couple months ago she had been terrified out of her mind and worried with all her heart - worried about him. She didn't want to imagine this would be a regular thing; what if she screws up and ends up harming him even more? They can't take Danny to a hospital for two reasons; they would ask how he got so hurt and they would notice one special detail about being a half-ghost, half-human hybrid - ghost ectoplasm and human blood both existing in the same body, at the same time. The Guys In White would drag Danny away in a heartbeat.

And Sam would just stand there, watching, unable to do _anything_ to help her best friend. That can't happen, it _can't_.

"-Nothing we can't fix?"

She smiles, agreeing with him, "Nothing we can't fix."

* * *

Maddie Fenton lays in her husband and her's shared bed, eyes wide open and staring holes into the white ceiling above. _It's official_ \- she thinks, - _I can't sleep, too many things I have to figure out.._ Sighing, she shifts her position so she's facing towards their dresser filled with, what Jazz calls, "normal people clothes", not like she or Jack ever wore them other than the times they visit her side of the family - the little family they have who doesn't hunt or believe in ghosts - they should visit them soon, it's been around a year since the last time.

 _I'm thinking too much_ \- she admits, - _way too much for me to fall asleep._

Taking a small glance at the clock on Jack's side of the bed that had a small ghost figure residing on the top; seven in the morning, it read, in green lettering. The sun seems to have been up for a while now, judging by the small amount of sunlight peeking through the curtains, with that she carefully slips out of bed, slipping on her bathrobe and slippers, and tiptoes out of the room. In the hall she can see that Jazz - being the natural early bird she is, even on Saturdays, - is already up, judging from the amount of light peeking out from under her door.

Tapping on her door lightly, Maddie can hear a faint, "Come in," from her daughter. Opening it carefully, she sees Jazz sitting on her neatly made bed with her laptop and a pink scrapbook in front of her.

"What is it this time?" she asks, not looking up from her screen, "Honestly, it's like you come in here just to-" she begins but stops when she finally looks up at her mom, Jazz's mouth forms into a small 'O' and her turquoise-colored eyes widen slightly, "Hey, mom, I thought you were someone else."

Raising an eyebrow, Maddie closes the door behind her as she enters, "Who did you think I was, sweetheart?" she asks, taking a seat at the desk's chair.

"Danny - he normally pops up," Jazz answers, hugging the pink scrapbook to her chest almost protectively.

"Why would your brother do that?"

"To talk, mom, sometimes people just need to talk to understand things," she says, brushing a strand of hair out of her face, "Did you need something, mom? Usually your not up this early."

Maddie shakes her head, smiling at her daughter's worrying tone, "No, I'm fine. I just couldn't sleep is all, no need to worry," she says, Jazz nods slowly as if thinking about something.

"Usually when people can't sleep they have something on their mind that gets in the way," she says finally, "Do you want to, I don't know, talk about it?" she asks slowly, hands fiddling in her lap. Maddie blinks at her words; did she want to? She couldn't tell even if she wanted to, the only think was the numb feeling from last night that she was getting tired of very quickly. She didn't want to feel numb - numb as if she was just outside in December with nothing but a sleeveless shirt and shorts to keep her warm. The science side of her argued that she'd die of hyperthermia in no time if she was actually in that situation.

 _Glad to know_ \- she thinks, bitterly.

Phantom looking worried flashes through her mind; snow-white hair all messed up, frantic emerald-green eyes looking at her with worry. He's saying something but she couldn't make it what he was saying to her. Her son's yells could be heard pounding through her ears. Phantom - with what seemed like sadness on his face, - shakes his head at her, two words being audio-able to her escaping this lips;

 _"I'm sorry."_

That didn't happen to her. It couldn't have. She would've remembered an event like that if it had happened. A thought hits her; what if it hadn't happened yet? What if that's going to happen to her any day now? Fear tightens it's hold on her.

Again there Phantom is but there's a black-raven-haired girl next to him with the brightest amethyst-colored eyes Maddie's ever seen. Even though her face is blurred slightly in her vision she can still make out who that girl is - Sam Manson, her son's best friend. Sam looks at her directly, smiling in her direction. She's saying something to someone Maddie can't see, Phantom nods along with whatever she's saying. Jazz stands behind the two teenagers, holding an ecto-gun tightly in her hands and yelling something at Tucker Foley.

This makes no sense. None of this is possible. For god's sake, why would she end up in the same room with the four of them at the same time? Jazz refused to even hold an ecto-gun, Tucker was terrified of ghosts - so why would he be near Phantom? - and Sam did seem like the type to be near the supernatural, if she were honest. The one that seems to be the most laughable is Phantom; why would he look worried? Ghosts can't feel that.

After what feels like forever to the red-head sixteen-year-old, Maddie stands up and shakes her head, "No thank you, it's nothing to talk about. How about some breakfast, sweetie?" she suggests, Jazz nods her head, fingers typing something on the laptop.

"Sounds great, mom, I'll be down in a bit."

Nodding, Maddie exists her daughter's room, making her way down the hall. She was just about to walk downstairs before her eyes for some reason dart to her son's bedroom door that was covered with NASA posters. _Might as well wake Danny up_ \- she thinks, - _I'm sure he'd want a fresh breakfast_.

Knocking gently on the door she receives no response but still turns the doorknob gingerly, the door's hinges creak, she slides in, not bothering to close the door. Danny - who was still sleeping - seems to be a tangled mess of bed-sheets and arms to her, she laughs inwardly. Pulling the curtains apart she can't help but take note that for some reason Danny's window is wide open, she also notices something that causes her to freeze in place. Blood and ectoplasm. Red and green. Human and ghost DNA.

There was blood and ectoplasm on her hand that had touched the doorknob a few minutes ago and there was the same mixture of substances on Danny's window and floor.

"What, how?" she asks herself quietly, "Human blood and ghost ectoplasm?" she whispers, staring at her hands.

"Mom?" Jazz asks, standing in Danny's doorway, "What happened? Why are you just standing-?" she stops once she sees clearly what's on her mother's hands and on various parts of Danny's room, "Oh my god.." her turquoise-colored eyes stare at her brother's sleeping form. Her own shaky hands cover her mouth, muffling her cries, all the while shaking her head.

"Jasmine, wake your brother, I'm going to clean my hands," Maddie says calmly, her eyes shut tightly, walking out the door. Jazz walks slowly towards her sleeping brother being careful not to get her shoes stained with the substances on the floor, she shakes Danny quickly until his eyes snap open at her.

Dryly laughing, she says, "Danny, you should've told me."

"Told you what?" he asks, stretching, sleep coating his words.

"That you were bleeding last night. Because mom just noticed something different about her son's room," Jazz replies, indicating towards the blood and ectoplasm. Danny - already knowing what she meant, - groans, muttering incoherent words under his breath before his baby-blue eyes meet hers.

"What do I do, Jazz?" he says, she places a hand on his shoulder, squeezing it slightly.

"Lie - that's all we can do for now."

* * *

Maddie takes the last step into the lab, making her way towards a microscope. Taking a wipe, she cleans her hands before slipping the wipe under the microscope, looking for any anomalies in the blood and ectoplasm. There has to be something wrong - she decides, - these two look merged together as if they had the same DNA in both of them. But that was not possible. Ectoplasm and blood were opposites, they repealed one-another, refusing to have anything to do with the other.

So why were these two samples merged together?

 _It doesn't make sense!_ \- she screams mentally, - _This shouldn't be possible! But here it is, right in front of me._

Shifting the lens, she looks closer, there's little bits of ectoplasm in the blood and blood in the ectoplasm. Grabbing a nearby pen she scribbles on the palm of her hand a few notes in regards to the samples. Rubbing her forehead with her non-ink covered hand, she heads back upstairs, leaving the red-green substances under the microscope despite the fact that when she turns away they flash a blue-white hue.

Once upstairs she grabs the notepad that wasn't available and scribbles the few notes on her hand on it's yellow surface, she writes; _Appears at first glance as two different substances but upon closer inspection seems to be one substance entirely. Unknown where it originally came from, found in son's bedroom with an open window. Could be a human or a ghost or possibly an entirely different creature all together, seeing as humans bleed blood and ghosts ooze ectoplasm. Need to run tests ASAP._

She folds the sheet of paper carefully into her bathrobe pocket, after she's sure it won't fall out, she washes her hands before grabbing the things she needs to make breakfast just as Jazz and Danny walk downstairs. Jazz slips into her usual seat at the table, book closed in front of her for the first time and Danny plumps down in his seat - the look on his face a mixture of boredom and terror - as he mouths words to his older sister.

Jazz shakes her head, "No, that's a terrible idea, it'll backfire for sure."

Groaning, Danny rubs his temples, "Then what do you suggest?" he asks, sounding obviously tired for some reason - his sister hadn't woken him up that early, around eight in the morning or so. Maddie shakes her head, an amusing smile crossing her lips; teenagers do love their sleep.

"How about you just admit it?" Jazz suggests dully, raising an eyebrow, "Aren't you tired of it, little brother?"

"Maybe, I don't know," Danny sighs, hitting his head against the kitchen table, "Look, Jazz, maybe admitting it right now isn't the best idea. If I ever do choose to admit it myself I want to wait for the right moment; no distractions, no interruptions."

Nodding slowly, she agrees, "That would be for the best, I don't want to pressure you to do this - this whole idea is just a suggestion you know that, right?" she asks, opening her book to a random page, eyes scanning the words for something. Danny closes her book slowly, a smirk crossing his lips, shaking his head. Jazz snorts at him, "I was looking for something that can help."

"Uh-huh," Danny mumbles, sitting back in his chair again, "Sure you were."

"You implying something, _baby brother_?" Jazz asks, giving him a challenging look that dares him to try anything. Danny raises his hands in a surrender fashion. Maddie rolls her eyes at their antics, being carefully not to let any ectoplasm from Jack and her's inventions hit the pancakes in the pan - the last time that happened Danny had a terrible reaction, - she flips them in the air, catching them.

"Nothing, nothing at all, dear sister," Danny says, swiping her book from her grasp, "What's this one about?" he asks, flipping the pages. Jazz purses her lips, brushing back a strand of her red hair.

"The idea that ghosts can, in theory, still be considered alive even when they've passed and become what they are today," she answers proudly, Danny bursts out laughing for some reason Maddie didn't understand, Jazz blushes crimson in embarrassment, "Shut up!"

"Why do you even read that stuff?" Danny asks, handing it back to her, "Mom and dad are ghost hunters, if you want to know about that stuff just ask them, or a certain somebody who knows a lot about ghosts but wishes to remain anonymous," he says quickly much to Maddie's amusement.

Deciding she should join in the conversation, Maddie asks a simple question that causes her two kids to look at her with wide eyes; "Who's that certain somebody anyway, Danny?"

"No body, mom!"

"Yep! No body at all!"

"Come on, Danny said you two knew a certain somebody who knows as much if not more than your father and I," Maddie responds, dropping on pancake on a plate before making another one, "I won't be mad at that person or anything, I'm just curious is all-"

"-Phantom," Danny answers quickly, cutting his mother off, Maddie freezes.

He didn't, he couldn't have said that. _But he did_ \- she thinks, - _Danny said that name but why?_ Phantom couldn't have actually talked to her kids before without her knowing, that was impossible, her home is ghost proof and where would the kids even be able to speak to him without being caught talking to that ecto-punk? The whole idea seems laughable to her; Danny Phantom - Amity Park's ghostly resident - talking to Jasmine and Daniel Fenton - the children of Amity Park's ghost hunters - without anyone noticing that the children were either missing or that they were speaking to thin air.

"What did you say, sweetheart? I didn't think I heard correctly," she says, flipping a pancake, behind her she can hear her son sigh in exasperation.

"I said, Phantom - Danny Phantom," he says clearly, Jazz watching him with fearful eyes, "He tells Jazz and me stuff about ghosts whenever we ask," a yawn escapes him.

There it is; Phantom. Danny said it, he admitted that he and Jazz have talked to Phantom sometime in the past and by the why he was talking about him it seemed like Danny was on good enough terms with the ghost to even go as far as to defend him in front of his ghost hunting mother. Again, it was laughable.

Maddie sets down the spatula she's been using down on the countertop, "Why did you two get near him?" she asks in a monotone voice, "You both know he's dangerous and that he can kill you both if you ever get him mad, he's a ghost after all."

"Phantom knew you'd say that," Danny says in response, "You knew you'd think he'd kill people just for talking to him. Maybe Jazz and I shouldn't even go near him - someone who can save us if something ever happened - just because our mom thinks he's nothing but a waste of space," he says bluntly, Maddie's eyes widen as she spins around towards her son.

Placing a hand on his shoulder, Jazz shakes her head, "Danny, _stop_ before you do something you'll regret," she says calmly, glancing at her mom she says, "Ignore him, mom, he's just tired is all."

"I'm not tired, Jazz," Danny says, "Mom just doesn't seem to understand that maybe not all ghosts are out to hurt people for sport," he comments, eyeing Maddie carefully.

Laughing, Maddie turns back to the stove and continues to make breakfast, "Oh, Danny, what has that ghost been filling your head with? Ghosts are the echo of somebody, sweetie, echoes aren't meant to be exactly like the original source, they don't have enough energy to form thoughts or emotions," she says much to her son's displeasure, Jazz watches the two - a calculating look on her face.

" _Echoes_?" it's Danny's turn to laugh at her words, "Is that what you think ghosts are?" he asks, crossing his arms over his chest, "Wrong, wrong, wrong."

Not even bothering to reply anymore, Maddie continues to prepare breakfast for her family, "We are still discussing why that ectoplasm-blood substance was doing in your room later," she says, cracking an egg on the pan before dropping it in the pan.

A scoff escapes Danny, "Whatever."

Jazz eyes him critically, "Danny, _let it go_. It's not as big of a deal as your making it so just, please, drop it for now," she says, opening her book to the index page, "Can you do that for me?" she asks him carefully, he sighs but nods nonetheless. Smiling, the red-head begins scrolling her eyes down the page, using her finger to skim the words.

The baby-blue eyed boy yawns again, stretching his arms above his head until he hears a soft pop escape his back. Jack tumbles down the stairs surprisingly quickly for someone of his size, he eagerly plants a kiss on both Maddie and Jazz's faces before ruffling his son's already messy hair. Sitting down in his seat he pulls out two action figures from the pocket of his orange-and-black hazmat suit.

"Good morning, Fenton family!" Jack booms, "How's everyone doing this fine morning?"

No response.

"We're fine, dad," Jazz answers eventually, smiling brightly at him, "Just some early morning tension is all," she says, going back to her thick book. Jack nods, playing around with his toy action figures on the table while Danny watches tiredly, yawning the whole time, with dropping eyes.

* * *

 ** _Typed at 3:05 PM 7/14/15._ **

**There you go CHAPTER 2!**

 **Thank you Princessbinas, Candy Phantom, Great (guest), BlueDragon007, DannySamPhantom, El0ndon, and Brbulcroft for reviewing! **

_**Response to Guest review:**_

 **Great (Guest) \- Yep, daughter of the warden. I didn't really think about who her mother is so you can assume who that is if you want, that's also why I didn't really describe her that much :p I'm lazy XDDD**

 **Thank you xXNaruto38Xx, Vallabanvallabi, Starzxxcartoonszs, Sonounoscoiattolo, Phantom99, Brbulcroft, ZeroExia, WerewolfCrime, Story Teller Of Untold Legends, Sapphire Blue 99, Ringworm1, ReenaKanda, Lilith Jae, El0ndon, Demon King Earnie, DannySamPhantom, DanielleFenton, DC-Hannah Falls, Beloved Yaoi, and AnonymousStalkerFriend for adding this story to your favorites! **

**Thank you xXNaruto38Xx, Whitt265, Vallabanvallabi, Urimarimo, Starzxxcartoonszs, Princessbinas, Ordinaryghostgirl, Brbulcroft, Anapplecrey, Ace115, ZeroExia, WerewolfCrime, Story Teller Of Untold Legends, Savirox, ****Sapphire Blue 99, ReenaKanda, MoonShadow7117, Lonely Little Black Rose, Lilith Jae, J.H.W, Fear the Fuzzy Bear, El0ndon, Dicloniuslucy, Demon King Earnie, DannySamPhantom, DanielleFenton, DC-Hannah Falls, Beloved Yaoi, AnonymousStalkerFriend, and AngelBunnyluvr for following this story! **

**Again, thank you all so much for making my day and amazing me with how much love there is for this story ^^ Hugs and ghost cookies for everyone!**


	3. The Remembered and the Forgotten

**You all spoil me too much. I felt so amazing when I saw how many people liked the story so far! Hopefully you like this chapter!**

* * *

INNER DEMONS

CHAPTER THREE:

 _The Remembered and the Forgotten_

* * *

 _"You're not dead, but not alive either. You're just a ghost with a beating heart."_

 _\- Anonymous._

* * *

A bang. A big, terrible bang causes everything to fall apart in front the quiet, blue-eyed boy. A shatter, a clank, _a scream_ soon follows. Time seems to slow down and he just runs, throwing all caution to the wind, towards the source of everything. Another scream breaks through the far too quiet air once more. Running as fast as his rather short legs allow, he unconsciously taps into some of his ghost powers to increase his speed. Soon but not soon enough he's kneeling in front of the fallen woman with a panic expression clear as crystals. The too pale, too weak Maddie Fenton winces as her fingers press themselves against the bullet wound clear on her stomach, crimson-colored blood seeping through her black gloved fingers and into the rapidly growing puddle that lays underneath her black-and-teal jumpsuited body.

All at once; she intakes a sharp breath before it escapes in a puff of air from her pale lips, her amethyst-colored eyes widen, and Danny Fenton's left clutching her hand like it's the last link between him and his mother.

Someone – most likely the one who had fired the bullet – drops something with a loud thump, sounds of shoes scrapping against the harsh floor soon following. Nothing manages to catch the young boy's attention. Not even the soft hand on his shoulder causes him to turn his eyes away from his mother's body for more than a millisecond. But somehow, someway, he knows exactly who's behind him and that if he turns his head he may regret it later.

The rough sound of an officer clearing his throat fills the bitter air, "Son, you have to let go of her."

"What?" The reply is too fast, almost as fast as the harsh baby-blue eyes that met the officer's in a glare match, "I don't have to let go, you want me to. _But I don't want to_."

"She has to get to the hospital," a female officer with blond hair says gently, carefully walking up to the boy and sitting down next to him cautiously, "They have to see if she's okay or-"

"-Or dead?" Danny cuts her off harshly before exhaling shakily, "I know."

A ghost of a smile tugs the blonde's pink-painted lips as she places a hand on his hand carefully, being careful not to flinch at the feel of his too cold hand. Making sure to look him in the eyes, she says, "Good, now, sweetie, can you please let go of her?" she misses the bright flash of green in Danny's blue eyes as he looks the other way with eyes clenched so tightly it hurt.

Swallowing the bile raising up his throat, he glances at the officers from the corner of his eye, "You don't understand," he mumbles quietly under his breath, this causes the blonde to look at him curiously as she leans in closer.

"I don't understand what?" she asks.

Green flashes once again in his eyes as the hand on his shoulder tightens their hold, "That she's dead – that my mom is dead."

"Danny, you know that's not true."

"But it is."

The female officer gives her colleague a sharp look, he nods before muttering something into his walkie-talkie that was located on his vest. She casts her gaze once again on Danny as she stands up to her full height, straightens her suit, and glances over her shoulder carefully. Smiling a bit forcefully she suddenly snarls in his direction, a clear look in her own eyes that Danny recognizes all too easily; she hates him. Numbness overtakes his body as he casts his eyes back at his mother's too pale face – a face that should've been smiling at him as she rants on about how ghosts are echoes. The thought of their earlier conversation causes him to tense ever so slightly, the female officer notices this.

"It's all your fault, _Phantom_ ," she spits the name like it was venom on her tongue, harsh eyes glaring at him, "You could've stopped this, but you didn't, and look what happened-" she motions towards the smashed windows and dripping blood around the two of them, the flickering of police lights highlighted every crack in the building. It was too much, far too much for the teenager to handle at the moment. Already he felt as though even the tickle of a feather may set him off and break the fragile, confident, mask that protects him and this women – with her glaring eyes and hateful look – seems to not be worried about anything at the moment as she crossing her arms over her chest, "-you did all of this and now your poor mother had to pay the price."

 _Pay the price,_ the words click into place in his mind, as Danny stands up slowly, his eyes wide in disbelief. Licking dry lips he eyes the officer up and down, taking in anything that seems to be out of place, "What did you just say?" he asks.

"Nothing that concerns you," she shrugs, a small smirk crossing her lips, "Don't you recognize me, Danny?" she laughs as her form shifts into a familiar one that seems to resemble a silhouette with glowing purple eyes. Almost automatically, a puff of blue air escapes Danny's lips in wisps of blue.

Suddenly everything fades.

The crimson-colored blood, the bright police sirens, and the amethyst-colored eyes of Maddie Fenton. It all slowly fades from their bright colors into a dull gray scale. A buzzing makes itself known in Danny's ears as his vision blurs and comes back all at once in a never-ending pattern.

"Aw, leaving me already?"

" _-Danny?"_

Said ghost-boy turns in confusion, blue eyes looking for the source of the new voice, face scrunching up in confusion. No one but the two of them – not counting the bodies that littered the floor like toys in a pre-school – were in the room; no more than two hearts beating, no more than two shadows on the wooden floor boards, no more than who pairs of lungs inhaling and exhaling the bitter air.

No one else was here.

The voice repeats itself, louder, _"Danny, wake up."_

Giving the dark room a once over for the second time, he turns back to look at the police woman only to find nothing in her place. Confusion crosses his face. Everything seems to feel foreign somehow in a way that leaves the teenager numb in the never ending blizzard of emotions. The ghost of a smile crosses his pale lips at the irony in the sentence.

" _Wake up."_

A flash, a flicker, a shock happens all at once and the world grows darker and darker as the Danny loses consciousness but not before the voice once again speaks; _"Mom's looking for you!"_

...

Things go felt as though a piece of you just blew away in the wind – gone, forgotten, whisked away by the ever moving clock. Anything would've felt better than this – this pain, this curse – the dulling beats of a heart slowing down would've been better than this. Oh, god, it hurt so much that no words could express the torment of terror coursing throughout her brain, shattering and breaking everything in its wake. By now the pain had dulled into something stranger, more complexing, as the female scientist lays on the comforter of her bed. None of this could be real. None of it was possible. None of it clicks in her head. But it was.

And that's what was making her go mad.

Softly in her ear the quiet but audible sounds of a clock ticking catches her attention almost far too easily for her to be comfortable.

Taking a deep breath that results in a migraine; she carefully sits up, swings her legs over the side of her bed, and stands up. Swaying slightly, Maddie slips on her standard boots and runs her gloved fingers through her short hair in an attempt to smooth it down; she winces once she feels a knot before gently untangling it with her fingers. Never once noticing the bits of brown, dried blood that seems to be scattered through her brown hair. Bits that seems to blend in like a ghost.

Her bedroom door creaks loudly as she opens it and steps into the hall. It was still daytime; around lunchtime, according to her Fenton Watch.

Walking down stairs she notices a sight that causes her to smile slightly.

Danny seems to have fallen asleep on the couch with one arm falling off the chair, the other carelessly covering his eyes. Next to him, Jazz sat reading a thick book mostly likely about scientific theories of some kind, her feet laying on the coffee table that was currently covered in blueprints – courtesy of Jack, who was tinkering with a new invention with a screwdriver, his tongue peeking out slightly in concentration.

Pulling up her blue hood and goggles, she sits next to Jack on the floor, grabbing one of the-oh-so-many blueprints. Eyeing it quickly, she glances at the invention curiously, "Jack, honey, what's this?" she asks her husband, her words quickly grabbing his attention.

"This-" Jack motions energetically, "-is the Fenton Specter Surveillance System!"

"Specter Surveillance System? Isn't that a bit too long?" Maddie inquires, glancing down at the blueprints once more.

"Nonsense, Mads!" comes the response, "It's never too long for us Fentons!" for some reason this causes her to laugh before placing a hand on her husband's arm, smiling all the way.

"And how long is too long?" she asks.

"Uh, I don't know…"

"Honey..."

"...A day?"

Maddie sighs, the smile not disappearing from her face, "How about you take a break?" she suggests, rubbing his cheek with her thumb and index finger, "Clear your head, watch some TV, help me make your favorite treat..." she trails off, barely containing her giggles at the look on Jack's face as she mentioned the last part.

Grinning like a child on Christmas Day, he jumps to his feet at an impressive speed for a man his size and weight. He quickly pulls Maddie onto her feet with ease right as he speeds off towards the kitchen with his wife in tow.

Jazz shakes her head causing her long, orange hair to get slightly messy from the action; her dad was a five-year-old who's obsessed with the Ghostbuster movies. Danny lays down next to his older sister, looking sound asleep, muttering quietly under his breath.

" _I don't want to_..." Danny mutters, shaking his head furiously. Concern quickly taking control over her, Jazz grabs her ghost bookmark and slips it into her book as she shuts it closed.

Gently placing a hand on his shoulder, she shakes him, "Danny, what's wrong? What don't you want to do?" She knows somehow that her words are useless, like screaming underwater, but they comfort her a little bit. Just a little, tiny bit. Jazz bites her lip as she shakes his shoulder a bit rougher, "Danny, wake up. It's a dream, you're alright, _just wake up_."

Nothing happens.

If anything, the blue-eyed boy's breathing speeds up ever-so-slightly, his fingers twitch before they clench into tight knuckles, body temperature drops by one or two degrees as the painful seconds drag on and on and on. If Jazz were not human she would've – should've, could've – noticed all of this and more and more and more. So many – an infinite amount – and's and if's in every little thing in everything and anything imaginable.

Overwhelming.

Suffocating.

Constricting.

The sounds of heartbeats and terrible screams hit Jazz all at once like a head-on collision with such a harsh impact that she remains frozen. The scent of blood and ectoplasm mixed together flood her senses. Bitter and foul.

Disgusting.

 _Repulsive._

Jazz takes her hand off Danny's shoulder with a small gasp. Her turquoise-colored eyes widening as they glance at her hand and her little brother's sleeping form; she had no idea what the heck just happened. All those thoughts, those painful things, they came out of nowhere. As if a phantom of some sort had snuck up behind her and screamed bloody murder in her ear. A foreign sensation causes her to shiver, it leaves a cool feel behind in her bones.

Ignoring the rising goosebumps rising on her forearms and her hair standing on end, Jazz takes a deep breath before she pinches Danny's own arm tightly between her thumb and index finger. It's stupid, in genius, but it works; baby-blue eyes fly open, staring at the white ceiling of the living room.

"Danny?"

No reaction to indicate he heard her follows. She tries again.

"Hello, Danny?"

Nothing but blank blue eyes that shift from the walls to the ceiling follows. Back and forth. Wall, ceiling, wall, ceiling, wall, ceiling. Back and forth; again and again. Worry plagues the red-head's heart all at once. _Just breathe, Jazz,_ \- she thinks, - _just breathe. Everything's going to be okay; Danny's okay, your okay. Everything is okay._ A small voice in the back of her head causes her to freeze in place; _why are you lying to yourself, Jazz? You know nothing's okay. Nothing in your life has ever been okay to even begin with._

Shaking her head wildly like a thrashing animal she attempts to shake the voice out of her head; _Your not real, nothing you said is real!_ She thinks, closing her eyes so tightly that blotches of purple and blue appear in her vision, a laugh sounds through her head. _I'm one-hundred percent real,_ \- the voice responds, - _your just denying the truth._

 _Liar._

 _Liar._

 _LIAR._

No response follows. Jazz hesitatingly opens her eyes only to find her unconscious little brother. "Danny..?"she asks, no reaction whatsoever graces his features. "Can you even _hear_ me?" Jazz asks, huffing. An evil thought crosses her mind, _"Mom's looking for you!_ " she exclaims, almost immediately the ghost boy snaps out of his trance-like state.

" _What?"_ Danny asks, blinking madly and breathing harshly, "No, no, no, don't mess with me. It isn't funny, Jazz."

Raising an eyebrow, Jazz twirls a strand of her hair, a smile crossing her lips once she decides to do something her brother knows far too well; she was going to get him to talk about his current predicament and open up to the psychologist-in-training whether he liked it or not. Cocking her head innocently to the side, she asks, "And why not? I was just teasing you – you know that, Danny."

Turquoise-colored eyes scan her little brother's paler than usual face looking for any signs that may be helpful later on. Panic, fear, and sadness overwhelm his features before they disappear with a shaky breath, like fog on a mirror.

"It still isn't funny," he mutters, sitting up on the couch, "Her about this close-" he makes a small hand motion with his thumb and index finger to indicate how close, "-to my secret is driving me nuts! I have no idea when or where she'll bring it up! It could be the next time she decides to, I don't know, _hold up a gun to my face."_

"You're overeating. Yes, mom's getting close, but-" she shoots him a stern look, "-you shouldn't be panicking about this. You had to know this was eventually going to happen sooner or later, and look, it's happening right now. Nothing you can do to change that."

A huff escapes his lips, "I wish it was happening later…" he mutters under his breath, crossing his arms over his chest like a five-year-old. Jazz rolls her eyes at his antics and lightly smacks his shoulder, earning a yelp of pain from her younger brother, "Ow! _Jazz_!"

Worry overwhelms her features, "Oh my god, Danny, are you alright?" she questions, pulling him closer and scanning him over quickly. He shoots her a look of pure annoyance right back. Blushing in embarrassment, she shrugs weakly, "Standard question…?" she trails off.

"Are you going to do this _every time_?" Danny complains, phasing out of her grasp.

It's her turn to huff, "I will if you get hurt every time."

"Jazz," he begins, sighing, "It's not my fault that I get hurt, you know that-"

"-Of course I do," she interrupts, looking him in the eyes, "Your my baby brother, Danny, whether you like it or not I'm going to worry about you and help you no matter what happens. Anything could happen at any time and I'll still be here. Tomorrow, next week, _in a million years even_. The point is, I'm here for you and if you even do forget that I might just have to suck you into the Thermos to convince you otherwise."

Danny's silent throughout his sister's little monologue directed at him; a mix of emotions overflow his mind, leaving him with a numb heart. It hurt. It hurt so bad. Jazz may say those words now but there's no telling what may happen in the future – the next hour, the next day, or the next week – people's opinions change every second, every single day. She may be thinking of one thing today but maybe by tomorrow the thought may be blown away like dust in the wind. Shaking his head in order to clean the unwanted thoughts – Jazz raises an eyebrow at this – he shuts his eyes, nodding slowly.

"Yeah, okay," he finally says.

"Good," Jazz smiles back, "Now, let me see the damage."

"The what now?"

" _The damage_."

"What damage?"

"Danny."

"What? I have no – oh, you mean..?"

"Yes."

"Ooh, now _that_ makes much more sense."

"You are clueless in more ways than one, little brother…"

" _Hey_!"

Jazz bursts out in giggles at the look on Danny's face, which causes him to roll his eyes at her antics. "Yeah, yeah," he says, "…How am I clueless anyway?" he questions, giving his giggling sister a curious look.

She deadpans before raising an eyebrow at him, her giggles having faded, "Are you really asking me that?" she asks in disbelief. He blushes, giving a small shrug. Sighing, Jazz rubs her forehead, "You are a lost cause."

" _Hey!"_

...

To anyone other than Sam Manson the idea of searching shelf after shelf for information on the subject of dark spirits seems insane. She knew this, but the idea of doing something abnormal and not fitting for someone her age just seems to cause her to do them with a bright smile on her purple-painted lips. Humming some inconsistent tunes, she trails a black painted fingernail across the spirals of several monochrome-colored books, eyes skimming over the words briefly. Her favorite bookstore in the world – Skulk N' Lurk – is the only place she can look for information in regards to anything relating to gore, poetry, and creatures of the night. The perfect fit for her.

Thankfully it was still early so it was just quiet enough for her to think in peace. Then again, if she wanted to be left alone to peace she could've just hidden away in her nice, dark bedroom at home but knowing her overbearing parents – their bright clothing being a nightmare to stare at for too long – they would constantly pop in on her and say something like 'how beautiful you would look in a lonely shade of pink, Sammykins!'. It doesn't bother her so much the first couple of times but as the ninth time approaches that's when her temper acts up.

So the bookstore was the best place.

Giving a small smile, she pulls the book labeled 'Fantasies & Realities of the Gothic Mind' off the shelf gingerly before she makes herself comfortable in the store's mini café area near the stage. Dropping her purple spider backpack onto the carpeted floor as she did so.

Opening the book to the table of contents, she skims over it, looking for something to catch her eye. Eventually something does. Flipping to the correct page, she re-reads the chapter title with the words 'Growing Darkness' in a strange font. Sam's eyebrows scrunch as she begins to read the chapter, taking her time.

After ten minutes or so of reading, she stands up and stretches, bones popping as she did so. Deciding that the book was interesting enough for her tastes she makes her way towards the cash register to purchase it. Luckily since Skulk N' Lurk wasn't that popular of a store there wasn't a long line, once it's her turn to pay she sets the book on the counter.

"Just this?" The cashier – a guy with multiple piercings and brightly dyed purple hair – asks, tapping the cover of the book with his fingers.

"For now anyway," Sam responds, opening her backpack just enough to grab her wallet.

"You know we have a special today; buy two books, get another fifty percent off your purchase," The way he says it sounds stale like here's grown tired of it already, "You up for it?"

A shrug follows, "Eh, why not?" she asks, "Any recommendations?"

He clicks his tongue in thought before giving her a grin, "Into the supernatural? You should be, since this is Amity Park and your standing here," he says confidently, bending underneath the counter to grab something. He soon reappears holding a thick, hardcover book in his hands. He slides it across the counter for her to see.

It looked formal. Golden, shiny font with the words 'Legends of the Dead' were easy to see from anywhere. A small picture that had a picture of several outlines of ghosts – both human-like and not-so-human like – in various colors, the outlines almost looking like a ghost's aura, and a familiar green-and-black sky behind the ghosts. Sam grins.

"It's exactly what I like," she pulls a bill out of her wallet, "Got change for a hundred?" she asks, holding it between her middle and index finger, waving it slightly in the air. The clerk's eyes widen as she places it in his hands, grabs the books, shoves them into her spider book bag, and heads towards the exit without missing a beat.

Confused, brown-colored eyes blink, "H-hey!" he calls out, Sam glances at him over her shoulder.

"What?"

He points at his own hand which is gripping the hundred dollar bill tightly, "This is way too much-"

"-Yeah, and..?" Sam interrupts him, raising an eyebrow in his direction, "I know _that_." She shrugs, exiting the store but not before calling out, "Keep the change!" the door's small bell jingles as it closes.

….

Jingle, jingle, jingle.

….

Slam. Clank.

Brown eyes flash a eerie crimson-color as a devilish grin replaces the confused look, the hundred dollar bill in his hands lights up in a bright orange-red color before it transforms into a small pile of ashes within seconds. He blows them, causing a small trail of gray to appear in the air. "Do you see that?" he murmurs quietly, "A path that leads you directly to Phantom's precious little Goth girl who now possess exactly what will lead to his destruction."

A female voice laughs hauntingly in the air as the customer's in the store fall to the ground in sync like puppets whose strings have snapped. "It's _perfect_ ," she giggles, "With love, comes death. With secrets, comes lies!" a shadow speeds through the monochrome-colored store, phasing into the store cameras.

"Illusions, memories, _phantoms_ ; they all fade away like dust in the wind."

* * *

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